The Road Warrior Report - Oklahoma State Review - November 29, 2015

STILLWATER, OK – Red November is complete, as is a run to the conference title that would have seemed impossible six weeks ago. The Sooners destroyed Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 58-23, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated, and almost certainly locked up a spot in the second College Football Playoff.

Baker Mayfield went 17-25 for 180 yards and two TDs, and added a rushing TD and 77 yards on the ground. On top of that, he had a pancake block on a Joe Mixon cross-country TD run in the pivotal second quarter. Mixon had 136 yards and a pair of TDs, while Samaje Perine had 131 yards and two TDs of his own.

OSU, meanwhile was mostly without starting QB Mason Rudolph, whose “broken bone in the foot” was a little more serious than the Ags led everyone to believe. Rudolph did come in for one series in the second quarter, after the Sooners were up big, and was ineffective. Actually, he was worse than ineffective, as he was 0-3, with one pass almost picked off for a TD and another that was picked off for a TD, courtesy of Jordan Thomas, who had both Sooner interceptions on the night.

OSU backup J.W. Walsh actually had a decent night, statistically, which shows that statistics don’t mean much. Most of OSU’s offense was underthrowing pop flies down the sidelines and letting their receivers push off and catch them. The Sooner defense, led by Eric Striker, spent much time in the Aggy backfield, but surprisingly didn’t record a sack.

Frankly, you folks watched the game. We dominated, simple as that. After several years of close games with Aggy, it was very nice to get back to the historical norm of delivering them a country ***-kicking. And make no mistake – that’s exactly what happened.

After the monsoon in Fort Worth Friday night, and its accompanying effect on the TCU-Baylor game, we were hoping against hope that it would stay dry in Stillwater – and stay dry it did. There was some mist and a few sprinkles here and there, but nothing that affected the game in any way. The ice storm that hit Oklahoma City didn’t make it as far north and east as Stillwater, so all of the trees up that way were intact, as well.

The only disappointing thing about the game was that Bob Bowlsby didn’t present us the conference championship trophy in the middle of that big ugly orange S on the 50-yard line. Dropping off the trophy in the locker room is bunk. We’ve been there for all nine Big 12 championships, and this is the first time we haven’t seen the trophy on the field. Yes, they brought it back out later for the photo, but still.

And so, in a season where many wanted him run out of town on a rail six weeks in, Bob Stoops delivered one of his finest seasons. And after his ninth Big 12 title in 17 years, he has these Sooners on the cusp of glory once again. And no matter who we play, where we play them, or what happens in the Playoff, this season has been an unmitigated success. Yes, we know we lost to a bad Texas team, but it says here that without that, we wouldn’t have gotten the rest. That game lit a fire under this team and this coaching staff that fueled their championship run.

A week from now, we will know where we are going and who we will play in the national semifinals. No point in speculating as to who we will play, although we know it will be in either Miami or JerryWorld. And regardless of who we play, the football gods owe us a national semifinal 200 miles from campus. We’ve played too many championship games in the other guys’ backyard not to finally get a shot at one of our own. It may not work out that way, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t.

We already have plane tickets for Phoenix for the National Championship Game. The nonstops on Southwest will fill up fast and be a lot more expensive than the $377.00 we paid today. Buy yours today.

Mayfield will get an invite to New York for the Heisman. He won’t likely win it – the freakish Derrick Henry from Alabama will probably get the little bronze man. But that doesn’t matter anyway. All that matters is winning two more games.

See you in Miami or JerryWorld on New Year’s Eve. And if it’s in JerryWorld, none of you with the money for gas, hotel, and a ticket have any excuse not to be there with us.

Yer best writeup of the season.....I kept notes during the game 'cause I dint
want to pay 'tention to the game thread. My note on Baker's block "Punishing
Pancake"..wow! Pushoffs, helmet to helmet shots...it don't matter (idm)..GREAT
GAME! Hats off to the guys....GAWD, I love the Sooners!